Macbeth (1948)

No major acting and directing talent in movie history had as uneven a career behind and in front of the camera as Orson Welles. The man responsible for masterpieces like Citizen Kane and Touch of Evil (and the movie-stealing small role of Harry Lime in The Third Man) struggled mightily to maintain control over projects that got away from him (Othello, Don Quixote) and, despite the “genius” label hung on him in his early 20s, continually had to scrape, beg and borrow money for the films he wanted to make. His Macbeth, meanwhile, is a creepy, atmospheric roller coaster of dark magic and murder, and worth seeing for the Weird Sisters alone — as frightening a trio of hags as any of us is ever likely to see. If we’re lucky.